The Kentucky gubernatorial election has garnered significant attention nationwide this year due to its closely contested nature. Incumbent Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, is pitted against incumbent Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican. The battle for control of the governor’s residence has attracted substantial financial contributions from influential donors. As a result, a media organization launched an inquiry to uncover the identities of these contributors.
The findings of the investigative journalists revealed troubling details, and subsequent reports were even more damning. Consequently, the governor has decided to return the funds received by his campaign. In response, the attorney general’s office has called for an official investigation into the matter.
During the month of April, an examination of Governor Beshear’s campaign finances was conducted by the Kentucky Lantern. The investigative journalists uncovered a surprising revelation regarding the major contributors to the governor’s re-election campaign. Contrary to expectations, the usual sources of donations were not prominent. Instead, a distinct group of individuals with ties to Randall Weddle, the Republican mayor of London, Kentucky, emerged as the new set of donors.
According to the report, the governor’s records indicated that Mayor Weddle himself did not make any contributions to the campaign. However, several individuals connected to Mayor Weddle proceeded to donate substantial amounts, totaling tens of thousands of dollars, where his:
- wife donated $32,000;
- son gave $17,000;
- mother chipped in $7,000;
- daughter donated $16,500;
- mother-in-law threw in $7,000;
- sister gave $17,000, and;
- another sister gave $15,000.
In addition to the individuals linked to Mayor Weddle, a company associated with him and its employees also made contributions to the governor’s campaign. However, Governor Beshear asserted that he had sold the business two years earlier, distancing himself from its donations.
When questioned about these donations, Mayor Weddle downplayed the matter. He acknowledged that his family and certain friends had indeed contributed funds to the governor’s re-election campaign but saw no issue with it. The mayor cautioned the newspaper against hastily drawing conclusions regarding any impropriety, emphasizing that the individuals mentioned by the journalists possessed financial resources.
Recently, Eric Hyers, the campaign manager for Governor Beshear, made an announcement revealing that the donations listed under certain individuals’ names were not actually made with their own funds. Instead, Hyers disclosed that the donations were made using a credit card belonging to Mayor Weddle and his spouse.
In an email statement, Hyers confirmed that the campaign had returned $12,000 in donations that violated campaign finance laws. Additionally, the Kentucky Democratic Party also refunded a sum of $190,000 it had received.
In May, Deputy Attorney General Victor Maddox wrote to the FBI, urging them to initiate an investigation into these donations. As the Attorney General is unable to oversee the case due to his ongoing gubernatorial campaign against Governor Beshear, it would present a conflict of interest. Maddox highlighted the fact that the contributions had received significant coverage in statewide news outlets. Whether federal authorities have initiated an investigation remains unclear.
